An Introduction to Uzbekistan
Background Information
Uzbekistan is a double-landlocked country that boasts the largest population in Central Asia, coming in at about 28,661,637 in 2014 (World Factbook, 2018). Located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Uzbekistan has long held historical significance as a center for commerce and engagement between civilizations, containing a diverse population and a rich culture.
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Current Ethnic Composition
80 percent Uzbek 5.5 percent Russian 5 percent Tajik 5 percent Kazakh 2.5 percent Karakalpak 1.5 percent Tartar 2.5 percent other |
Current Language Composition
74.3 percent Uzbek 14.2 percent Russian 7.1 percent other |
A Concise History of UzbekistanBefore its conception as a modern state, the inhabitants of what is now Uzbekistan lived as various Turkic tribes that led nomadic, agricultural lifestyles. The ancient centers of Samarkand and Bukhara existed as important points on the historic Silk Road, expanding the culture and paradigm of Islam in the region.
Beginning around the nineteenth century, Tsarist forces from Russia began exerting authority in the region, and soon carved it into their empire. This domination lasted through the Bolshevik Revolution, as the USSR took the place of Tsarist Russia in domination of Central Asia. In the first half of the twentieth century, the USSR divided Central Asia along new national lines, declaring the existence of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic (UzSSR) in 1924. The UzSSR served an important role in the Soviet Union as a supplier of cotton, yet the power of the USSR waned during the later portion of the twentieth century, and it eventually became the first Central Asian Soviet republic to declare independence in 1991. Currently the largest country in Central Asia, Uzbekistan is a developing democracy, working to shift its formerly communist-based economic and government systems to a liberal open market system. |
The Uzbek PeopleTraditionally, the Uzbek people lived as semi-nomadic shepherds, travelling the range of the rough Central Asian steppes. After the innovations brought by the Soviet period developed Uzbekistan into a modern state, most citizens either lead more traditional agricultural lives or live in cities.
Most urban Uzbeks live in dense apartment blocks in cities such as the capital Tashkent or Bukhara, while rural dwellers live in simple houses or yurts. Over half the total population lives in urban regions, however, about forty-nine percent of the population still live in rural settlements. A popular game traditional in Uzbekistan is "buzkashi," which is similar in structure to horse-polo, yet instead of a ball, the headless carcass of a goat or calf is used. With regards to religion, eighty-eight percent of Uzbeks subscribe to Islam (Sunni in particular), while nine percent adhere to Eastern Orthodox and the remaining three percent belong to various other languages. The current president is Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who serves as the second president of the republic of Uzbekistan after longtime leader Islam Karimov, who took power after the fall of the USSR and passed away in 2016. |
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BazaarsSimilar to many of the other Central Asian countries, open-air bazaars exist as a large part of Uzbek culture, as people buy and trade goods in a much more social setting than the traditional western supermarket.
Uzbek people utilize bazaars not only to buy and sell produce, but to exchange ideas and meet with other people in a social setting. As seen in the video, bazaars mix conversation with music and culture to provide a distinctive event that makes Uzbekistan unique. |